The Engagement Ring
by Chrys-DASL
Summary: Rattles has finally taken the necessary steps to getting married, starting with an engagement ring. Except he can't find it. When he discovers it's lost and can never be recovered, how do things turn out? Warning: drug addiction trigger, adult language. For my 10x10 Challenge/NaNo2018


Rattles (8): lost (1)

 _The Engagement Ring_

 **Warnings: Language and addiction. Rated T.**

I couldn't find it. I spent all that money and I couldn't find it.

I looked under the couch. Maybe it fell off the shelf and slid under the couch somehow. Maybe it was IN the couch, but taking all the cushions off didn't help.

Where was it?!

I rechecked the bathroom, digging underneath the vanity. I was surrounded by feminine hygiene products, hair care bottles, medicine boxes for heartburn, colds, and reflux—but there was no ring box. God, how could I lose something like that?!

I heard the door open, so I quickly worked to pack everything back away. A moment later, Amelia poked her head in the bathroom. She held up a food bag, "I got takeout for dinner. Hope that's okay."

"It's fine," I smiled, hoping she wouldn't see the perspiration on my brow.

"What you looking floor?" she asked, studying the mess.

"I wanted one of those allergy pills, but I haven't needed them in a while, and I guess we're out," I shrugged, packing everything away as neatly as I could. "I'll be okay without them," I sniffled, "Just a little stuffy, that's all."

"Poor thing. Well come eat while it's hot," she smiled, heading back into the dining room.

What was I going to do? I spent two thousand dollars on that ring only to lose it in a week. I'd hidden it to keep her from finding it because I wasn't ready yet, and now it was lost forever. Two thousand was a lot of money, but she said she wanted a ring. A lot of people our age went for other things, but I wanted to get her the real thing. She deserved it really.

Amelia and I met when I was in college. I'd decided I wanted to go into biology, see what science could do for me. I did well in high school, but I was struggling in college. It was so bad that I had to seek out a study group, but everyone wanted to goof off.

Then I saw her flyer in the caf. She'd tutor anyone in practically anything, so I gave her a call. Well, okay, rewind—it was a flyer for the company she worked for, and her specialty just happened to be biology. We met up, and I mean…the chemistry was there, no pun intended. We hit it off, and I asked her after the semester was over if we could meet up for dinner or something. There was a show I wanted to see anyway, and she agreed to go with me as long as it wasn't a date-date.

So she joined the friend circle. She was still a tutor (and an honors student. How can anyone be that smart?), but I didn't need her anymore, or so I thought. I'd contemplated changing majors, but she convinced me to stick it out and she'd help me. She did just that, but soon we were dating.

After she graduated, she needed somewhere to stay, so we got an apartment together. I make good money as a hand-me guy with a construction company, so it wasn't a problem. We had a roommate for a while, a girl she graduated with, but now she was elsewhere. I'm in an internship that's going to become a job, so it's perfect.

But I've lost the ring. I sat down at the table and tried to clear my head so she wouldn't notice, but it was bugging the crap out of me. How could I lose something so important? I'd gone over the house three times, some places more than that, but I hadn't found it yet. Had someone broken in? Did she find it and is now toying with me? No, Amelia wouldn't do that.

When dinner was over, she decided to take a bubble bath. I hit the books, trying to get through some research my boss wanted me to take care of for the internship, but it was a struggle. I couldn't think of anywhere else to look, but it had to be here somewhere.

I grabbed a piece of scratch paper and made a list of all the places I liked to hide things. My favorite candies were in a box of roofing nails in the utility cabinet—she still hadn't found those yet and I remembered the ring box not fitting with the candies, but I couldn't eat that many at once. When I got her birthday card early one year, I tucked it behind the fridge, but it was too dirty for the ring box. I know I could've cleaned it, but I had ten minutes to hide it when I got home that day.

Under the bed was too risky, as was between the mattress. I tried to hide a dirty magazine in both places when we first got together. Now they're in a photo album labeled "BORING A$$ $TUFF" just in case anyone comes over, not that they would. We hadn't had anyone over in ages, even for game night. We'd just been too busy.

I thought about behind the television, inside a DVD box set, or anywhere like that, but none of those had worked. I thought I'd hidden it in a shoebox under the couch—

The shoebox was no longer under the couch.

I rushed up to the bathroom door, "Hey babe, I hate to bother you, but I need my walking shoes for a thing next week. Do you know where the box went?"

"I loaned them to Peter, remember? He needed them for his brother for that 5k," she called back.

I grabbed my phone and stepped out into the hall. Peter answered on the second ring. I sighed, "Hey, buddy, how you doing?"

"I'm kinda busy—"

"Okay, this won't take but a minute. Did you or your brother find anything in that shoebox we gave you? It's really important," I said quickly.

"Shit, man, I don't even know what happened to those things. My brother snatched them and ran. I haven't been able to call him for days—"

"Wait, Jack or Andy?"

"Andy—shit," Peter sighed, "I'm sorry, man. I don't know why I keep falling for his shit."

"Why would you let an addict borrow my shoes?! Her ring was in there!" I screamed before I remembered where I was. I rushed down the stairs and outside into the common area, going as far away from the playground as possible, "He's going to pawn it and I don't have that kind of money just laying around."

"Damn, brother, I didn't know. Look, maybe—"

"It's gone, Pete! Just admit it!"

Peter sighed, "You're not wrong," he said, pausing to think a minute, "I could get the cops involved."

"Your mother would be pissed—"

"Well it's a shot. They could track it down—"

"We just gave him the box though!" I argued.

Peter groaned, "You're right. It's not stealing if we gave it to him, not this soon. What are we supposed to do?"

"It's gone. I can't believe it's gone," I sighed, sinking to the ground, "Sorry to put this on you, Pete. You didn't know any better. Amelia didn't know—"

"Maybe you should ask her. She said she checked to make sure they were both in there before I picked them up. I know it was supposed to be a surprise, but maybe she's sitting on it watching you squirm," Peter suggested.

"You're right, man," I lied, hanging up.

Amelia wouldn't do that to me, but Peter was right that I needed to let her know what had happened. I had to compose myself first, but then I was ready. I got back to the apartment and let myself in. Amelia was on the couch wrapped up in towels. She was flipping through Netflix to find something to watch.

I sighed and sank onto the couch, "B-Babe, can we talk first?"

"What's wrong? You look like you're going to be sick," she said, turning off the television and taking my hand, "Are you okay?"

"Look, I wasn't looking for sinus medicine, and I don't need those shoes for anything important. I…I got you a ring, and I forgot where I hid it, but then I remembered. The box wasn't there so I didn't even think about it. Your ring…I hid it in the shoebox, and now Peter's junkie brother probably sold it for drugs," I sighed, shaking my head, "I am so sorry. I just wasted two thousand dollars, and all I wanted to do was propose to you—"

"Rattles, I had no idea. I looked in the box and everything, but I didn't see it. Are you sure—?"

"It was Andy. He's been on the needle for years. Peter tries to hide it, and he tries to be nice to him, but he keeps getting burned. Now it's us this time, and we are both so sorry," I groaned, leaning my head against the back of the couch, "I wanted to give you something special, but—"

"Shh, it's fine. Besides, I want to marry you anyway," she smiled, kissing my lips. When we pulled away, she turned on the television again, "Don't worry about any of it, okay? We can't get married until after you graduate anyway, until we move wherever we're going for work. We've got time, okay? It doesn't have to happen tomorrow," she said, handing me the remote, "Find us something good."

As I flipped through out options, a knock sounded at the door. I put down the remote and answered it to find Andy there. He was skinny and looked strung out.

"Hey," he said, scratching his arm, "Can I come in a minute?"

I wanted to punch him in the face, but I decided to see what he needed. I let him in, sitting down with him at the kitchen table. Amelia stepped out a moment later still drying her hair, thankfully in pajamas. She studied Andy carefully before joining us at the table.

"Look, man, I'm sorry I didn't come over sooner, but I…I was busy or whatever," Andy said.

"Yeah, it's been a rough week for a lot of people," I nodded, surprised at how well I was staying composed. Amelia just watched as Andy broke down before us, sobbing and shaking—the works. There was nothing we could do as he cried and started sobbing. He was saying something, but I couldn't understand him. Amelia and I exchanged glances, both of us deciding to let him finish whatever this was so he could say whatever he had to say.

Suddenly there was pounding at the door. I checked the peephole and found both Peter and Jack pacing the floor, both of them ready to pounce.

"Give him a minute!" I yelled through the door, turning around, "Pull it together, bro. Your brothers want to kick your ass, but I'm willing to hear you out."

"So am I. Just say it," Amelia said firmly, taking his hand as best as she could. He quickly snatched it away.

"I stole from you, man! I didn't even think about it! I was so happy, and I got a load of stuff, and I got high, and I just—I had a bad trip and haven't been back since, man. I can't do this anymore. I gotta get off it before I hurt someone else!" Andy cried.

"I know a place you can go. Does your family have insurance?" Amelia asked calmly.

"They ain't gonna pay for me, man! I'm a fuck up!"

"You are not a fuck up if you want to get help," I said sternly. Peter pounding on the door again so I pounded back—not yet, man. Let the guy finish.

"I don't want to keep doing this, and I don't wanna die, man, I can't—" Andy broke down again, falling out his chair and onto the floor. Amelia stood up and went to the other room, grabbing her phone off the charger before she left.

I went to Andy, "I forgive you, okay? Amelia and I are going to make it no matter what, okay? It's fine—"

"It's not fine! I can't believe I do things like this. I got the citizenship award in school—twice! I'm supposed to be this good guy, but I'm not. I'm not," he cried, shaking as his brothers pounded the door.

I grabbed my phone and called Peter to tell him what was going on. I wasn't opening that door for them unless they promised not to kick his ass, a promise they couldn't keep. A moment later, Amelia came out and said there was a spot if he wanted it, a spot he wouldn't have to worry about. He accepted, but I had to get Peter and Jack off my landing. I called Peter back with an update, and that seemed to calm him. He agreed to come back later when it was a better time.

An hour later, Amelia's friend came by with some other guys, and they drove Andy away. Amelia and I sat on the couch in the silence. We held hands but didn't say a word. I knew she was proud of me for not being like Peter and Jack. We didn't know if it would work out or not with Andy, but at least he was getting help, and at least we knew where things were. I hated it, and I felt sick, but if this was the catalyst to get Andy the help he needed, so be it.

~End

A/N: 6 pieces down, 94 to go. This is for my 10x10 Challenge. For more info, PM me or go to my profile.

I got nitty gritty with this one, but I think it's an important theme to touch on. Addiction is serious business. If you need help, seek it out. There are resources out there for you or your loved ones. Don't be afraid to get the help you need before it's too late.


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